Message from the Fist

I’ve got plenty to cover this month, and figured I should probably pull myself away from Mass Effect: Andromeda long enough to get this report done. I also normally put my reports out on the 1st of the month, but since there is actually some real news, I don’t want anyone to think the report is fake or a hidden joke. We have a long-awaited gaming addition, some new magistrates, some pendants, and a full list of competitions for you all to enjoy.

Over the past month the staff has run three different game tests, looking at Heroes of the Storm, For Honor, and an additional mode for Overwatch. I’ll let you read on for more HotS info, but based off the tests, For Honor and OW vs. AI will not be added at this time. Both of these tests failed due to lack of overall interest, but if interest ever peaks again, I’m more than willing to give them another go.

With that out of the way, and knowing my Xbox is waiting for me to return to the Andromeda Galaxy...let’s get to it!

New Magistrates Announcement!

Not long after becoming Fist, I decided that Magistrate positions would move from indefinite terms to six-month terms, changing over immediately after the completion of a GMRG quarter. This go around I had two open positions, with Irfy and Beef’s terms coming to a close. I can’t thank both of these men enough for what they have done for the club and for the Fist office over the duration of their terms.

With that, i am pleased to announce the two newest members of the Fist Staff:

Congratulations to Uji of Clan Arcona and Junazee of Clan Odan-Urr on their selection to serve as Magistrates for the next six months! Both have already joined the staff chat and are busy learning the ropes.

Thanks to all who applied. It was not an easy selection process, but I think Uji and Junazee have the right ideas as we move forward toward the Great Jedi War and beyond.

The next application period will open up in June. I encourage you to apply, even if you are not the greatest or most prolific gamer. This is an opportunity to learn about the systems and to serve on a DC-level staff.

Congrats to the new team members, and thanks again to Irfy and Beef for their service to the Fist office.

More Fist Bot Updates!

James is at it again. Effective immediately (as in about two weeks ago), you may now use the Fist Bot to re-queue against an opponent even if you have not played a full set of matches against that person. This is a member-driven change, based off your feedback and preferences. The match limits outlined in the Rites of Combat are still in effect, so you can’t requeue against the same person for the same game if you have already played a full 12 matches.

I’ll repeat what I said last month: Both parties will have to agree to be re-matched, so don’t accuse someone of match-dodging if they decide they would rather not ruin their PvP score by you are waffle-stomping in JA decides he doesn’t want to be re-matched with you after playing the minimum number of matches!

Gaming Related Updates

New Platform: Heroes of the Storm

I am pleased to announce the addition of Heroes of the Storm to our library of supported games. This game’s inclusion is an example of member-driven content addition. It is a well-known fact that I am not personally a fan of MOBAs, and after two failed tests for League of Legends and DOTA2, I didn’t think Heroes of the Storm would make it out of the testing phase.

I thought wrong.

The statistics for this test were staggering: Over thirty of you subscribed, and twenty-five of you actually participated. All but ONE clan had someone participate. Across all participants, nearly 400 screenshots were submitted. We had more data than we needed to prove this game met the requirements for support.

Effective immediately, Heroes of the Storm is live. There are two options for you to earn clusters in this game.

PvE: Vs AI Mode. Team up with your friends and take on some bots! Modifiers exist for each difficulty level! Beginner, Recruit, Adept, Veteran, and Elite.

TL;DR

1) New Magistrates!

2) Another new gaming platform!

3) Blade won a LOT of PoBs.

4) Competitions. Competitions EVERYWHERE.

This club is built on member activity. Remember, your opinions and wishes matter. Heroes of the Storm is a key example of that. I might not like it, but you all do. And at the end of the day, that is all that really matters!